A Mother's Love, A Son's Devotion
by Warrior Nun
Summary: Mother's Day is here, and everyone is showing their love and devotion to their mothers to show that they are glad to have her. How will Kougaiji show his love to his mother?


Mother's Day is coming up, and since I don't know what to give to my Mom this year…I've decided to dedicate her with a one-shot fanfic, and this time, starring with our one and only:

Demon Prince Kougaiji.

Please enjoy this fic.

Pairings: Kougaiji/Yaone, few possible scenes and/or mentions of 39, 58, Jien/Shunrei and Hakuryu/Ozawa (OC)

Warning: Well, actually, for once there's nothing naughty, I mean, come on, it's Mother's Day. Possible case for OOC-ness, though. And possible perversion from Gojyo, but not really graphic.

Note: This is an AU

-

Speech guide:

"Blah." – speaking

"_Blah_" – thinking, flashback, singing

-

A Mother's Love, A Son's Devotion

-

In dedication to my mother, and everyone's mother with love.

-

_Beep…beep…beep_

An audible groan was heard as a tanned hand rose up from the blanket covers and blindly searched the bedside drawer for the digital alarm clock that made that infernal buzzing noise. As the hand finally found the alarm clock, its fingers searched for the snooze button, until it found it and pressed it, ending the buzzing for good. Kougaiji sat up on his bed stretching out his arms as he hears the bones in his back pop back in place.

He heard a feminine sigh from the bed, and looked down, before smiling lovingly at his purple-haired sweetheart, whose pale arms wrapped around his waist. Kougaiji slowly brought his hand and stroked his lover's hair, as she slowly wakes up. She brought a hand close to her mouth and yawned before looking up to Kougaiji with her beautiful saffron eyes.

"Good morning, Kougaiji-koi." She greeted as she sat up before pecking him upon the cheek. Kougaiji smiled back before kissing her back. "Good morning, Yaone." He greeted back. Kougaiji looked over to the digital clock and see that it was 7:30 before looking back at his lover.

"Say, Yaone, what date is today?" he asked.

Yaone sat up from the bed before looking over to a small calendar to another bedside drawer beside her and see the dates of May x-ed out, and the only date that is not x-ed yet, is a Sunday date that has a flower drawn around it. "It's Mother's Day," she told him before getting out of bed. "I almost forgot about that." Then she walked into the bathroom to prepare. Kougaiji looked at the calendar before looking over to a small picture frame next to it, containing a picture of a child version of him smiling with a beautiful young woman that the same crimson hair and a young energetic girl, they are both being held by the woman's warm embrace.

"Yeah, me too." He said softly before getting out of bed to get ready himself.

-

Kougaiji smoothed out the wrinkles of his white polo shirt before finding his lover in the room making pancake mix, with his younger sister helping by mashing some bananas. "Need some help, girls?" he asked, walking into the kitchen. The orange-haired girl looked up from mashing the banana mush to her older brother. "Onii-chan, ohayo!" she greeted.

Yaone looked over to her crimson-haired lover and gave him a smile. "Oh, Kougaiji, you can start by setting up the tables, while Lirin and I flip some pancakes." She told him.

Kougaiji smiled back at her before snaking his arms around her waist. "Ooh, what kind?" he asked, even though he knew what they're making.

Yaone giggled before gently tapped the tip of his nose with the handle tip of the mixer she had in her hand. "You already know that, it's your favorite, banana pancakes!" she laughed.

"Mmm, yummy." Than he captured the woman's soft lips and kissed her gently, before feeling a tap on his head that causes him to break the kiss quickly and find Lirin's disapproving face with a scolding frown that in a way makes her look adorable. "Onii-chan, Yaone-chan and I are cooking breakfast, hurry up and set the table!" she told him.

Kougaiji sighed before smile at his sister's childish attempt on acting more grown-up than her age. "Hai, hai, I understand, Lirin." He said, before walking over to the plate cabinet and took out three plates.

"Alright, Lirin," he heard Yaone spoke to Lirin as he took out some forks and knives. "Just scoop the banana mash into the pancake mix carefully."

"Like this?" Lirin asked.

"Yes, that's right."

Kougaiji smiled to himself before setting up the table. _Just like old times…with Kaa-san. _He thought to himself.

--

_Flashback…_

"_Ne, ne, Kaa-san, do I just scoop the mash in like this?" six-year-old Kougaiji asked his mother after mashing up the bananas. His four-year-old sister is somewhere nearby playing while breakfast is getting ready. A beautiful young woman smiled before nodding. "Yes, but do it carefully," she said in a gentle tone. "We don't want your breakfast all over you before it has a chance to be cooked!_

_End of Flashback_

--

"Oishii, Yaone-chan, your cooking is excellent as always!" Lirin said, as she took the last piece of banana pancakes and devoured it. "Yeah, it's just like the way Mom made them." Kougaiji agreed as he stood up and helped his lover gather up the dishes. Yaone smiled as she and Kougaiji put the dirty dishes away into the sink. "I'm glad, that you two liked my cooking as always." She said in a motherly tone.

"We'll drop by the flower shop, after we run the dishes in the dishwater, ne, Lirin?" Kougaiji told his younger sister.

"Hai!" Lirin answered.

-

Streets of Tokyo…

The three roommates walked down the street and stopped by the stoplight watching the cars go by. As Kougaiji watched, he spotted a family of four walking towards a Chinese restaurant down the street. Two children, a boy and a girl, both eagerly held their mother as they both lead her to the entrance followed by their father, whose arm is around her shoulders. "Hurry up, Kaa-san!" the boy said.

"It's Mommy's Day and we have to make it good for you!" his sister added. Kougaiji guessed that their ages somewhere 6-8, as he fondly watched the family walk towards the restaurant. "Alright, you two, but you don't have to rush." Their mother laughed. Kougaiji continued to watch before he heard the ever so familiar traffic chime music, and on cue the traffic light turns red as the cross-walk light turns into a green figure of a man walking. Kougaiji walked along with the crowd, with his arm around Yaone's shoulders and Lirin following behind.

As they reached on the other side of the street, the family was already inside of the restaurant and a young black-haired girl walked out of the side of the restaurant with two bags of garbage in each hand. She threw them over into the garbage dumpster before dusting her hands off. "That's the last of them, Thank God." She said to herself.

"Nice to see you working hard at your boyfriend's restaurant as usual, eh, Ozawa?"

Ozawa turned around and saw her friends approaching. "Kou, how are you, buddy?" she greeted the older teen, her sapphire blue eyes are sparkling when her friends approaches.

"Ozawa-chan!" Lirin exclaimed, running over to her and embraced the other girl as she threw her arms around Ozawa's neck, almost knocking her off of her feet.

Ozawa laughed before hugging the girl back. "Hey, Lirin, energetic as usual, I see." She commented, gently pried Lirin's arms from her neck before looking over to Yaone. "And Yaone-san, it's good to see you again also."

Yaone smiled at the younger teen as she bowed to her in respect. "Same to you, Ozawa," she greeted back. "So, how is the Peal Dragon coming along?"

"It's been busy since today's Mother's Day," Ozawa replied. "Hakuryu-koi and his pop are letting the Misses to take it easy and they're handling the business okay, along with me and Tou-san's help."

Kougaiji smiled at that. "I guess the family business is much easier with the Siro and Kurodou families working as business partners." He commented.

Hakuryu Siro and Ozawa Kurodou's families have been partners in the restaurant business for generations, and they always have a steady relationship in both professional and personal terms. Hakuryu and Ozawa have known each other since they were kids, and soon as they both entered Jr. High School, they've began to develop deep feelings for each other. Both families see the slowly developing relationship between their children, and waits patiently for them to confess to each other. Somehow, they both confessed their feelings on Valentine's Day while preparing to serve the meals to the couples.

They both hit it off, and they started to date whenever they get the chance of getting a day-off and/or breaks.

The door opened revealing a young platinum-haired boy with ruby eyes dressed in a white t-shirt and grey jeans, appearing to be Ozawa's age, roughly around 14. "Oy, Ozawa-chan, are you finished yet?" he asked before looking up to see Kougaiji. A smile forms on his fair handsome face. "Well, what do we have here? If it isn't Houtou, how are you doing, buddy?" he greeted walking over and both he and Kougaiji raised their hands and shook them gently.

"Pretty good, so far, Hakuryu," Kougaiji replied. "And I see that you and Ozawa are still going fine."

Hakuryu smiled as he walked back to Ozawa's side, and snaked an arm around her waist and held her close. "Yeah, there's no way I'm giving up this angel, not to anyone." He said. Ozawa giggled before pecking her boyfriend upon the cheek. "Oh, Hakuryu," she said to him before turning back to the older man. "Oh, yeah, what are you three planning for today? Something special, I hope."

Lirin nodded, a cheerful smile is still playing on her face. "Hai, very special!" she piped up.

Kougaiji smiled as he also nodded. "Ozawa, Hakuryu, if possible, can I make a special order for a take-out?" he asked.

--

_Flashback…_

"_Ah, Oishii ne!" nine-year old Kougaiji said, as he walked out of the Pearl Dragon restaurant with his arms cradling the back of his head. His mother and Lirin followed closely behind him. "Yeah, the seafood ramen and the fried rice are the best kind that I've ever tasted. Not to mention the pot-sticker dumplings!"_

_Kougaiji looked back at his sister, a toothpick is held between his teeth. "Well, you do have a bottomless pit for a stomach, after all." He commented, earning a glare from his sister. _

"_Hey, that's mean, Onii-chan!" she said, stomping her foot in anger. _

_Kougaiji just shrugged. "I'm just saying like it is, Lirin," he told her. "Although, you're right about the food, they're really good." Then he looked up to his mother. "Ne, Kaa-san, what do you like best about this place?"_

_Their mother thought for the moment as she took Lirin's hand. "Hmm, let me see…" she said, both Kougaiji and his sister wait for her answer. _

"_I think I liked the mantou (1) best, they're best with or without the sweet condensed milk."_

_End of Flashback_

_--_

Florist shop…

Kougaiji, Yaone, and Lirin all walked towards the florist shop, with a plastic bag in Kougaiji's hand, and found a couple of two men, one of them is brunet and wears thin-wired glasses and has green eyes, while being held by another man with long red hair. They are both looking at the red flowers, before the brunet notice their presence. "Kougaiji-san, Yaone-san, Lirin-chan, fancy meeting you three here." He said.

"Hakkai-san, ohayo gozaimasou!" Yaone greeted as they approached them.

Hakkai smiled kindly at them as his red-haired companion looks up to see them. There are two scars on the left side of his face, and a cigarette between his lips. A sly grin appears upon his face when he quickly recognized them. "Well, well, if it isn't Skinny Hairdo, and his little monkey girl." He commented in a cocky tone. That made the Houtou siblings twitch with anger when they both heard the redhead's nicknames.

"I'M NOT A MONKEY, YOU RED COCKROACH?!" Lirin yelled.

"AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING SKINNY, HUH, GOJYO!?!" Kougaiji yelled, gripping the plastic bag tightly, having the urge to punch the latter in the face. But unfortunately he couldn't, because both Yaone and Hakkai came between him and the cocky face the he longed to punch.

"Maa-maa, Kougaiji-san." Hakkai told him in a somehow motherly tone.

"There's no need to cause a brawl, koi." Yaone added.

Gojyo smirked as he placed his hands in his jeans pockets. "Yeah, Kougaiji-_san_, today's Mother's Day, after all." He told him, putting an emphasis on the "-san" suffix.

Kougaiji's eyebrow twitched at the fact when today's Mother's Day. _Damn that Gojyo for reminding that! _He thought, holding back a growl.

"So, picking out flowers as well, huh?" Hakkai asked, starting up a conversation to relive the rising tension that is surrounding them. Yaone nodded as she turned her attention to the brunet. "Why, yes, and you and Gojyo-san, too?" she replied. Gojyo blew out a last stream of smoke before crushing it between his fingers and flicked it to the curb.

"Yup…the red ones are pretty this time of year. I think that Ma, will like them." He said, smiling fondly at the mention of his mother. The tone of his voice is a bit less cocky, and his usually harden red eyes are soften a bit.

Hakkai smiled warmly at his partner with warm green eyes. "Hai, I'm sure, you're mother will," he said.

Gojyo looked up to the green-eyed latter before the cocky grin returned to his tanned face as he reached out and pulled Hakkai hard to his chest, wrapping his arms around Hakkai's slim waist. "You know, Kou, you should kick Lirin out as soon as she enters college," Gojyo told the younger man as he nuzzled into Hakkai's hair, inhaling the sweet scent. "That way, you might have some _alone time _with Yaone-chan, just like I have kicked out my big brother just to be with my Kai-chan." by that he nuzzled into Hakkai's bared neck before kissing it.

Kougaiji twitched before pointing an accusing finger at Gojyo. "I'm not perverted as you, and there's no way I'll ever do that to Lirin, there's no telling whether or not she might pass the entrance exams!" he yelled.

"And here I thought you're voice wouldn't get any louder, Kou." A deep familiar voice spoke up behind them.

They all look over and saw…

"Jien." Gojyo was the first to speak up when he saw his older half-brother. The dark-haired man gave them all a friendly smile, that make him resemble greatly like Gojyo. "Yo." He greeted. "So, picking flowers for your Mom, huh, Gojyo and Kou?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," Yaone said. "And you, Jien?"

"Oh, I'm just walking around, Shunrei is doing fine, she's helping out her mom at the laundry mat." He replied. Then Jien remembered something. "Oh, and has anyone seen Sanzo and Goku lately? I haven't seen them in a while."

Hakkai looked up to the older man. "Aren't they on a vacation in the onsen somewhere in Hokkaido?" he asked. "I'm sure they'll be back around tonight."

Gojyo laughed at this. "Ha, knowing Droopy-eyes, monkey boy wouldn't walk properly for weeks!" he joked. That clearly earned him a jab in both the stomach and the arm by Yaone and Hakkai.

"Gojyo!" they both chorused.

"Nani?!" Gojyo exclaimed.

Now it's Kougaiji's turn to smirk. "That's what you get for having impure thoughts, Gojyo." He told the latter in a mocking tone.

An audible growl is heard from the red-head, as he lets go of Hakkai and was about to storm over to Kougaiji. "Teme…" he cursed before being stopped by Jien.

"Hey now, why not we just buy some flowers instead of fighting?" he suggested, trying to prevent a fight in front of the flower shop. "This is after all Mother's Day." Kougaiji was about to protest before looking over and saw a bucket filled with beautiful white lilies. He calmed down as tranquility washed over him.

"Yeah." Is all that Kougaiji can say.

--

_Flashback…_

_11-year-old Kougaiji was just finishing up cleaning his room when he decided to get something to snack on in the kitchen. When he got to the kitchen, Kougaiji saw his mother, still wearing her red apron, sitting at the diner table staring at a single white lily flower in a small but beautiful vase. "Hey, mom," he spoke up as he approached her. His mother looked over to him with her usual smile. _

"_Kougaiji, have you finished cleaning your room?" she asked in a gentle tone. _

"_Yeah," Kougaiji answered, before looking over at the flower. "So, anything special about that flower, Mom?" _

_His mother nodded. "So special," she answered. "It's my favorite flower…but not only that, your father first gave it to me on our first date." _

_Hearing the mention of his father caused Kougaiji to scowl. "That old man…I hate him!" he said, his fists are clenched with anger. Just hearing any mention, any slightest hint, of his father, made his blood boil. It couldn't help the fact that he was told that he looked just like his father. "I'll never forgive him for leaving us without any reason…I'll be glad if he's dead!"_

_Ratsetsunyo stared at him sadly before smiling as she gently stroked his growing red hair. "Now don't you say that, Kougaiji Houtou," she scolds him gently. "You know that you're father doesn't mean to leave us."_

_Kougaiji looked up to his mother with protesting indigo eyes. "Demo, Kaa-san…" he began. _

"_No buts, Kougaiji," his mother told him. "I'm really sure that your father will come to see us one day, you'll see. _

_End of flashback_

_--_

Trail…

"Ne, Aniki," Gojyo drawled as he climbed up the hill with his hands in his jeans' pockets. Underneath his arm is a small bouquet of red flowers. "You don't have to tag along with us."

Kougaiji looked over his shoulder with irritation. "Well, _you_ don't have to tag along with _us _either!" he remarked.

Yaone looked over to her lover with a scolding expression. "Oh, Kougaiji, you know that Gojyo-san's mother is in the same place as yours." She told him. Within her hand is a single white lily wrapped in a red wrapping bouquet paper and secured by a blue ribbon.

"Yeah, Kou," Gojyo said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "What kind of son am I if I don't visit my own mother?"

Jien nodded as he followed behind Gojyo. "He's right, Kougaiji," he agreed. "It'll be cold of him for not visiting his mom, even on Mother's Day."

"You know, they do have a point." Hakkai spoke up.

Lirin looked back at Jien, kept on walking backwards as she cradled the back of her head with her crossed arms. "Ne, Jien-chan, what are _you _giving your Mom today?" she asked innocently. Jien's expression saddened a bit, as both he and Gojyo stopped their tracks, making the others stop and look back at them.

Silence is thickening around them until Jien finally spoke up. "I…don't have anything to give to Mom. You should know that, kiddo."

Lirin finally understood, and she placed her arms down to her sides. "Gomen…I forgot about that." She apologized.

Kougaiji stared at his sister before sympathetically stared at the two brothers. Sha Jien is his friend since college, and both of them, including the others in their circle, knew that Gojyo is Jien's half-brother whose mother is their father's new wife, ever since he divorced Jien's biological mother to be with Gojyo's mother whom he fell in love with, that drove her a bit to insanity, abused Gojyo when he was a child every time he came over to visit Jien. He came back to his home with two deep scratches in his left cheek as a result of his step-mother's abuse, which is convincing enough for her ex-husband and Gojyo's mother to send her to prison for abuse. Jien deeply cares about Gojyo, and he often teased him from time to time.

Jien looked up to her, and gave her a familiar smile. "Hey, now, that's all in the past, time to move on, you know." He told her reassuringly.

Lirin smiled back with her own grin. "Yeah, I guess, you're right."

-

Graveyard…

They all entered the cemetery, which is filled with beautiful gardens and headstones with kanji of the names of the deceased upon each of them. Beside each of them, is a pot of incense. Kougaiji looked around sadly, sensing that Gojyo, Hakkai, and Jien's sadness as well. "Oy, Kou," Gojyo spoke up. "The guys and I are gonna go and visit my Mom. See ya guys later."

"Later." Jien said before walking along with his younger half-brother.

Hakkai bowed to them politely. "Have a nice afternoon, minna-san." He said before going after his lover and his unofficial brother-in-law. Kougaiji watched the three men walk off, before looking forward.

"Let's go." He said softly, before all of them walk forward.

--

As they all pass several headstones, Kougaiji remembered a lullaby that his mother always sang to him and Lirin when they were kids to sleep. It's a beautiful and soothing song; he couldn't help but sing the first two verses softly.

_Yuugure ni kimi to mita orenji no taiyou_

_Nakisou na kao o shite eien no sayonara. _

Then he and the two women stopped by the headstone whose kanji translates "Ratsetsunyo Houtou". Kougaiji smiled fondly at the headstone. "Hey, Okaa-sama, happy Mother's Day." He greeted softly. Than he noticed that the incense is already burned and there is a white lily the same as he and Yaone bought is lying by the headstone. Yaone and Lirin noticed it too.

"Ne, Onii-chan, Yaone-chan, who do you suppose to have put that there?" she asked, curiously.

Yaone looked over to the young teen. "Maybe it's a concerned passerby, Lirin, nothing to worry about." She told her as she placed their lily down next to the other one before looking over to her lover. "Ne, Kougaiji?"

All that Kougaiji can do is nod. "Aa." He said.

_Could it be? _He thought to himself. _Could it be him?_

--

_Flashback…_

"_Kaa-san, you're going to be okay," 15-year-old Kougaiji told her while he and Lirin held her hand, sitting by her hospital bed. "Just hang on, the doctors will find a cure for you any minute now." Yaone and a female doctor whose nametag says "Huang" stood by them, giving them emotional support. They didn't know that their beloved mother had cancer the entire time, and she didn't tell them about it…until, it's got the best of her, and it's already too late. _

_Huang stared at the siblings sympathetically before speaking. "Kougaiji-kun, do you have any contact to your father, Gyumaoh?" she asked. "I think he needs to know about this."_

_Kougaiji shook his head as he tried to hold back the tears. "I…we never heard from that bastard when he walked out on us," he replied, his voice is laced with venom. "That bastard is out there somewhere while my mother is dying, damn it!"_

_Ratsetsunyo looked over to her son and daughter and smiled at them gently. "Kids…" she told them in a weak but gentle tone. "Please…don't blame your father for this; I'm sure that you find in your hearts to forgive him…as I did." Then she slowly started to close her eyes when the heart rate meter is starting to beep wildly. _

_Huang's brown eyes widen in horror. "Oh, no…" then she ran outside of the hallway, crying out "Code blue! Code blue!"_

_Kougaiji's indigo eyes widen as his mother's gentle brown eyes are staring to close, never to be open forever, her grip upon his and Lirin's hand are loosened. _

"_Kaa-san? Kaa-san? KAA-SAAAAANNN!"_

_End of flashback_

_--_

"So…he's here." Kougaiji softly spoke to himself.

Both Yaone and Lirin looked over to him with confusion. "Did you say something?" Yaone asked. Kougaiji shook his head before kneeling down and pulled the carton filled with mantou out the plastic bag and placed it beside the lilies before standing up. "Nothing, Yaone." He told her. "It's really nice to see you again, Mom." Kougaiji said to the headstone, smiling as he wrapped an arm around Yaone as she wrapped hers around Lirin's.

Unknown to them, a middle-aged man with a short beard in a black coat watched from the other side of the cemetery as they stared at the headstone. A small smile grew on his face as he pulled down his hat a bit with his tanned hand before walking away unnoticed. "My wife and children…may this day be your happiest." He said to himself.

-

The End

-

Featured song: Orenji no Taiyou (The Orange Sun)

Performed by: Hyde of L'arc en Ciel and Gackt from the movie premire "Moon Child".

(1) Mantou is a Chinese steamed bun that is served with sweet condensed milk, I have those once and they're really good.

If any of you are confused, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for that. And please review.


End file.
